rec.autos.simulators

% A True N2 Experience.

% I was racing a full field of AI at Richmond.  After getting spun out by
% one of the AI cars and tagging the wall (producing a caution), I had to
% go into the  pits to fix the damage and get a new LF wheel.  When I was
% just about to pull into my pit, BOOM! my car was suddenly hit hard from
% the left side.  I was spun around 180 degrees and thrown out into the
% right side of the pit lane, blocking other AI cars coming in to pit.  I
% checked the replay and found that the #88 car had been behind me coming
% into the pits, and had gone to the LEFT of pit wall (into the infield).
% Just before I reached my pits, the #88 car came back through the wall
% and knocked me for a loop.

There is a lot of this entering the pits through the pit wall stuff at
alot of the tracks in N2.  This was a problem at a couple of ICR2 tracks
also.  I think I've fixed it for Martinsville (the same thing happened
to me there).  However, I need to go back and work on the fix, cuz it
causes a new problem.  I think that the AI guy left Papyrus just as they
were wrapping up N2.  Hopefully we will be seeing some AI patches with
the BGN track pack (along with anti-aliasing -- just had to through that
in, it's been a while <G>).

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Agreed.  And going a lap down is doom, unless you can outrun everyone
and get to the front.  I can't wait for double-file restarts!

The AI problems have been known since the release of N2 and they don't
seem to be doing anything about it. I think they should set their
priorities straight instead of concentrating on new tracks. The first
two patches didn't do anything to AI except fix the Atlanta pitting
problems (which aren't even fixed right), they still pit at odd times.
The AI cutting you off and/or hogging the track doesn't bother me. This
may be unintended by the programers but makes for more realistic racing.
Keeps you on your toes :)

Don't get me wrong here though. I think N2 is great entertainment for
the dollar, but,(and a BIG but that is), the AI since N1 is just not
good in some respects. A lot of people complain about the obvious
problems and they get fixed. But "everybody" has complained about the AI
and not many strides have been taken in that direction. I'm not knocking
Papyrus, because I know "AI" has got to be really difficult (and
expensive) to program. But I hope someone over there can figure it out
soon :-)

Kel..

A True N2 Experience.

I was racing a full field of AI at Richmond.  After getting spun out by
one of the AI cars and tagging the wall (producing a caution), I had to
go into the  pits to fix the damage and get a new LF wheel.  When I was
just about to pull into my pit, BOOM! my car was suddenly hit hard from
the left side.  I was spun around 180 degrees and thrown out into the
right side of the pit lane, blocking other AI cars coming in to pit.  I
checked the replay and found that the #88 car had been behind me coming
into the pits, and had gone to the LEFT of pit wall (into the infield).
Just before I reached my pits, the #88 car came back through the wall
and knocked me for a loop.

I now found myself with more damage and NO left side tires.  The only
way to get back to my pits was to call the tow truck.  This meant having
to go all the way around the track again.  As I was exiting pit row
(under tow), the pack was coming by.  The pace car went by along with
the #44 car (at the tail end of the lead lap), but the rest of the pack
slowed in order to stay behind me.  The spotter announced that they were
going green the next time by.  I was being towed down the back stretch
when the green flag came out.  Due to my being under tow, the yellow
flag immediately came out again. This allowed the #44 car to catch up to
the tail end of the lead pack, despite being almost a lap down (it
should have been just ahead of the leader on the restart).

The AI has to be better educated if there is going to be an N3...

-Kim.

When the original yellow flew, the #44 ended up behind the pace car with
the leader right behind him.  Thus, on the ensuing restart the #44 would
have been fighting to stay on the lead lap. When I was being towed out
of the pits, I exited pit lane just as the pace car and #44 went by.
The rest of the pack, starting with the leader, slowed up in order to
stay behind me.  When the green flag flew, the #44 was already half a
lap ahead of the leader.  My being under tow caused another yellow to
fly, and the #44 caught back up to the tail end of the pack.  I would
assume that the leader would have caught and passed the #44 before
reaching the start/finish line, thus putting him a lap down.

- Kim

When the cars line up for a restart, you could be the only car a lap
down (due to whatever reasons), and you cannot start to the inside of
the leader at the restart, and try and pass the leader and get back on
the lead lap.  Instead, you must come from wherever you are, track
position wise, *to* the leader, and get around him.  NOT the way it's
done in Winston Cup, or any other series for that matter.  It doesn't
even work right for the last ten laps, because the lap cars should
clear out and head to the back, letting the lead cars up first.